Will the VW Diesel Scandal Affect Ford at All?

By now, you’ve surely heard all about the Volkswagen diesel scandal. The company currently can’t sell any of its diesel vehicles, and countless millions will end up being recalled to meet emissions requirements. But here’s the question, will there be any backlash with the other automakers, specifically Ford?

In case you do actually live under a rock, Volkswagen installed some software on their diesel cars that would lower emissions (and conceivably performance and fuel economy) when the car was being tested by the EPA. This defeat software somehow knew it was being tested and then would adjust the car accordingly.

When not on the EPA dyno, the car would return to normal programming and spill 40 times the amount of pollution into the air than the car was when it was being tested. This is far beyond the acceptable limits of the EPA.

People feel cheated, and some are even rightfully furious. The cars need to be fixed, and the government will demand they be fixed. That could mean different things for different cars, but there’s a chance that a software fix would reduce performance and lower fuel economy; hallmarks of why people chose the TDI diesel models.

Other people, especially some enthusiasts, commend VW for sticking it to the EPA. The government frequently tries to lock down and control what we do to our vehicles, and the EPA’s oversight prevents some people from achieving the maximum performance out of their cars and trucks.

There has been some blowback already onto the truck market. The EPA is now demanding that Chevrolet road test their Colorado Diesel before it goes on sale. We haven’t heard how long that’ll push back the on-sale date, but even if it isn’t that long, it’s still annoying. We’ll probably see other stories like that until the new testing procedure is finalized and streamlined.

Here’s the thing; I like breathing clean air. It’s pretty important to my existence on this planet. I might not be as upset at VW as some are for the deception, but I still like to know my cars aren’t polluting that much. But what’s more frustrating is that diesel was just starting to branch out beyond heavy duty trucks, and that advancement might be hindered.

But do you think all diesels are tarnished by VW’s deception? VW might have hurt the diesel car industry irrecoverably, but do you think truck buyers will think twice before purchasing a diesel pickup truck?

Diesel obviously has its advantages, with the main one being torque. The new 2017 Super Duty is rumored to have 1,000 lb-ft of the stuff. But those trucks are now going to be under the extra-watchful eye of the Environmental Protection Agency for the foreseeable future.

So I ask you, dear readers, will the VW diesel fiasco spill over into the rest of the industry? Will the future of diesel production suffer, whether it be with more regulations or with tighter emissions controls, as a result?